Procurer
by Lady Aurora Nocturne
Summary: Canon compliant. Examines the perspectives of Bill, Hadley, Andre and Queen Sophie-Anne on events early in the series. Begins shortly before the events in Dead Until Dark. Chapter 8 - Bill nearly gets drained and Sookie rescues him.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I do not own the characters in this story. They are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm just playing with them.

It was another warm, steamy night in New Orleans, like most nights in the summer. If I were still human, the heat would bother me, but as a vampire I'd become fond of the warmth. I wove my way through the palace complex to my queen's residence to find out what kind of job she had for me this time. I was hoping for a quick grab-and-go type mission where I could just cleanly abduct the required specimen instead of engaging in the months of subterfuge required for the more complicated jobs. Some days I wondered if the perks of my job were worth the hassle. As the queen's Chief Procurer, I was away from my luxurious accommodations in the city far more often than I would like, but that came with the territory.

My job involved a lot of travel to remote areas in the state, usually to find humans with unusual blood types to satisfy Sophie-Anne's fickle tastes. Once in a while, I captured and brought in drainers or supes who were causing problems for the state's vampire population. My most recent "mission" had been to Baton Rouge to pick up some antique furniture that struck the Queen's fancy. I really didn't get much respect around here; that job was plain insulting for a vampire of my talents. She could have sent one of those lunkheads, Sigebert and Wybert, to do that. I had complained, but Sophie Anne told me that procuring furniture for the palace was within my job description. Sometimes I felt like she was messing with me to entertain her favorite pet, Hadley, who constantly irritated me at court. The fact that Sophie Anne allowed a human, even a favored pet, to show such disregard for another vampire at court made me question how she ran her monarchy sometimes.

I approached the entrance to the main part of the palace. Rasul nodded to me. "I assume you know where you're going, Compton?" He said. I nodded back to him and continued on. I liked Rasul better than most of the guards. He didn't insist following me through the palace like a hound when Sophie Anne summoned me. The memo that Andre sent him ahead of time was enough to satisfy him. And besides, it wasn't like I was strong enough to harm Sophie Anne on my own. Between her and her formidable children, I'd be a fool to start any trouble.

I made my way to the atrium outside of Sophie-Anne's throne room. Sigebert and Wybert stood guard outside as always. They were probably the dumbest vampires I had ever met, but they provided enough brawn to make up for their lack of brains. They nodded to me and opened the double doors to usher me into Sophie-Anne's presence.

The Queen wasn't alone, much to my consternation. Andre and Hadley were sitting close to her. Andre I could deal with, Hadley not so much. She was decked out in typical fangbanger attire, and had rimmed her eyes with excessive amounts of black kohl, which I didn't find attractive at all.

"Ah, Bill." Sophie-Anne began, nodding to me. The other two mirrored her gesture, but didn't speak.

"My Queen, you have a job for me?" I began, bowing deeply. I preferred to get straight to business instead of exchanging idle small talk. The sooner I got my assignment, the sooner I could be done with it.

"I do, but can't we chat a bit first?" She replied. "You're always in such a hurry." She shook her head. "Young vamps these days." I internally bristled at that. I may be young compared to Sophie-Anne and Andre, but I was hardly fresh-turned.

"As your majesty wishes." I answered, knowing better than to give voice to my thoughts. Sophie Anne and Andre were sharing a bottle of Royalty Blended and offered me a glass, which I gladly accepted. It was better than the synthetic blood on the market, because it contained real blood, but it was not as good as the fresh stuff. Hadley was sipping a soda. Sophie-Anne claimed that Hadley's blood was sweeter after she consumed one of the bubbly drinks, so she drank a lot of them.

"What's the news from Baton Rouge?" The Queen asked.

"Not much of importance, just a couple of draining incidents, which I'm sure the good sheriff has already reported to you." I always made it a point to find out the latest gossip in the areas I visited so that I'd have something to tell the Queen in these little chats she insisted on having.

"This uptick in draining is starting to disturb me. Do I really have so many fools living in my state? No vampire worth her salt would get captured by drainers. Perhaps the humans are getting craftier?" Sophie-Anne had never been known for compassion and scorned those who fell victim to drainers. After all, vampires are supposed to be the predators and humans the prey.

"Or the vampires are getting stupider." Hadley piped up. I couldn't fathom why the Queen put up with her impertinence.

Andre leveled a glare at Hadley. "The caliber of individual that out brethren choose to turn has gone downhill in recent decades." He glanced at me significantly, as though to suggest that I was one of the aforementioned inferior vampires. I was well over a hundred years old, but the older vampires like Andre still treated me like I was a baby vampire sometimes.

"It is a shame." Sophie-Anne continued. "Perhaps we should have the sheriffs to start some kind of drainer awareness program for younger vampires. Or we should look into how the drainers catch so many vampires." I was a little surprised that she was this concerned. Her usual attitude toward draining was that any vampire stupid enough to get caught probably deserved what they got.

"Silver nets and chains are easier to acquire now than they were a couple years ago." I replied. When there is a demand, someone is always willing to supply the goods, even if they will be used for immoral purposes." It was basic economics, and with the price of V going ever higher, it wasn't surprising that draining was such a thing lately. Of course, many humans didn't see vampire draining as immoral, which didn't help matters.

"That explains some of it." Sophie-Anne admitted. "But it doesn't explain why so many of our kind are falling victim to the ploys of the human drainers. I would guess that they're usually lured with a promise of a feed and then trapped with silver." Silver exposure was especially devastating for young vampires, who were weaker to begin with.

"I'm sure you're right, your majesty." I agreed. Though the artificial blood was enough to sustain us, the opportunity for the real thing was too hard for many of my kind to resist, especially those who hadn't partaken of the real thing for a while.

"Let's give Bill his mission so that we can get on to tonight's entertainment." Andre said with a smirk that told me that said entertainment likely involved multiple blood donors and possibly an orgy. Obviously the idle chitchat that Sophie-Anne so enjoyed did not hold much appeal for her eldest child. Hadley was looking bored too, as she generally did when I was around.

"If you insist." Sophie-Anne stated with a pout. She did love to gossip and didn't like it when cut short by business. "Your assignment this time will be something of a homecoming for you, Bill."

"Bon Temps?" I queried, my interest piqued. I hadn't been back to my human hometown in decades. I had heard that my old home was in disrepair. But what in the world could Sophie-Anne possibly want from a little backwater town like that. I really hoped it wasn't more furniture.

"Indeed." She continued. "Hadley can tell you more about the person we need you to acquire. After all, she is the target's cousin."

"Hadley's cousin?" I clarified. Oh dear, this could be terrible, especially if the cousin was anything like Hadley.

"Her name is Sookie Stackhouse." Hadley began, producing an old photo from her purse and passing it to me. Two blond girls smiled up at me from the picture. One was obviously a younger Hadley, and the other must be my target. "She's my cousin on my mother's side, and she's always been rather odd." She looked vaguely like Hadley, with blond hair and blue eyes. However, her figure was much more voluptuous than scrawny Hadley. She looked like my kind of woman.

I wasn't sure what Hadley's idea of odd was, but it didn't sound like she was terribly fond of Sookie, which was probably a good sign for me. "How is she odd?" I asked.

"She can hear what people are thinking." Hadley explained. "It's creepy, and I could never get away with anything when she was around growing up." She said with a shudder. Now things were making sense. A telepath would be a very valuable asset for Sophie-Anne. I had never heard of such a gift outside of demons. And a human telepath would be much easier to control than a demon.

"I'm sure you can understand why I'm interested in this human, Bill." Sophie-Anne remarked. "She could be a great source of revenue, especially if we hire her out to other states, as well as a boon to our security at the palace."

It made sense, but I figured I'd need more information about the girl. "Is it only humans she can read?" I asked. My job would be considerably harder if she could read my mind and find out what I was up to.

"No idea." Hadley said dismissively. "I doubt she's ever met a vampire, living in Bon Temps. Last I heard she was working in a bar owned by a shifter. Dunno whether she can read him, but if she is still there, I'd guess not. I know she's quit several jobs before because she got upset when she heard what her boss was thinking about her."

"We recently discovered that your final living descendant in Bon Temps has finally passed away." Andre cut in. "You should be able to reclaim the property if that vampire rights bill passes the legislature this session. That would be most convenient, as Miss Stackhouse lives just across the old cemetery from there."

"So I go back to Bon Temps, claim to be mainstreaming, and collect our little telepath." I could see where this was going. I wouldn't mind doing some work on the old house. It was a nice property at one time, but the most recent photograph I'd seen suggested that it was very run down now.

"Precisely." Sophie-Anne said. "I'd prefer that she come willingly instead of suddenly disappearing and causing complications with the human authorities."

"That should be easy enough to accomplish with glamor." Andre added.

I had been hoping for a quick snatch-and-go mission so that I wouldn't have to be away from my computer project for long, but this was looking like it might take weeks or even months.

"You'll have to deal with Gran too." Hadley added. "I'm pretty sure Sookie still lives with her. Jason, Sookie's brother, shouldn't be hard to deal with. He's not the brightest, but Gran isn't stupid. She always seems to know when someone is up to something."

"How do you suggest I approach Sookie?" I asked Hadley. I hated asking that brat for help, but she was my best source of information in this case.

"Seduce her." Sophie-Anne suggested.

"Make her fall in love with you." Hadley said curtly. "God knows she never dates, and she's already 25, so she's probably lonely. I know Gran worries that she'll never find anyone. It shouldn't be hard to get her to fall for you, even without glamor. The guys in town mostly avoid her because they think she's crazy. Gran will probably love you if you treat Sookie decently. And she'll probably be thrilled that you're a Civil War veteran"

So, I was off to Bon Temps to seduce Hadley's "crazy" telepathic cousin without upsetting her grandmother, shifter boss, or stupid brother. I was to accomplish this without generating a missing person case. I had had worse assignments. At least I didn't have to seduce a man again, as Sophie-Anne had made me do once before. And the girl wasn't ugly. I might even enjoy this mission to an extent. Sometimes I suspected Andre came up with my more bizarre and embarrassing missions for his personal entertainment, like the aforementioned seduction of a male target. The Queen would let him do it and laugh at my discomfort. This didn't look like one of those missions.

"Be wary of Sookie's shifter boss, Sam Merlotte. He's apparently very protective of her." Sophie Anne cautioned.

"It sounds like he's in love with her to me." Andre added. "He's just a shifter, and not affiliated with a pack, so you should be able to deal with him."

"Don't let Sheriff Northman find out about this assignment." The Queen continued.

Ah, Eric Northman, the sheriff of Area 5, where Bon Temps was located. I had never enjoyed dealing with him, and I was sure he'd love his very own telepath. It would be trouble if he found out about her before I could get her safely to New Orleans. "Should I not check in with him?" I asked. Northman was strict about Area protocol, from what I'd heard. He wanted his tithes and more vampires to work in that accursed tourist trap bar of his. I'd prefer to avoid that place. I hated being gawked at by blood bags.

"Don't worry about reporting to Eric. If he finds out you're in the area and gets upset, just tell him to call me." The Queen purred. "He's a good Sheriff, but a bit full of himself at times." That was quite an understatement. Not having to deal with Eric sweetened the deal for me. Maybe this mission wouldn't be so bad. If Sookie was a tolerable human, I might even want to stay on as her handler once she was in the Queen's retinue. Handling a valuable resource like a telepath for a vampire monarch could be a very profitable job. I might even resign my post as Chief Procurer if things went well.

"If that's everything, your highness, I will go and get ready to leave. Thank you for entrusting me with such a valuable assignment." A little extra sucking up never hurt with Sophie-Anne.

"Even you shouldn't be able to screw this up, Compton." Andre snarked. "Your little Southern gentleman routine should come in handy. From what Hadley's told us, her cousin is an old-fashioned Southern gal."

I didn't dignify Andre with a response. "Your Majesty." I said with a farewell bow to the Queen, hoping she'd dismiss me and not make me partake in whatever entertainment she had planned for the remainder of the night.

"You're dismissed, Bill. The sooner you get to Bon Temps, the sooner I get my telepath." I left the throne room without further ado. Sigebert and Wybert ignored me as I left. I preferred it that way. I ran back to my quarters at vampire speed, not wanting to waste time. I had a feeling that this mission would be a turning point in my undead life. There was something about that girl in the picture. Sookie. She definitely had an unusual name to go with her unusual talent. I would find out what she was like soon enough.

So, what did you think? This is the first story I've posted on here, so please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Home Again

Bill's POV

I pulled into the gravel driveway of my old homestead around four in the morning. I made the long drive from New Orleans to Bon Temps as soon as I could after receiving my assignment. I considered putting off the drive until the tomorrow night to enjoy the plusher accommodations of my New Orleans apartments for a little longer before having to slum it out in the sticks. I wasn't looking forward to having to spend my days in the ground here, in my own grave the way the vampires of old had done for millenia.

The proliferation of vampire-friendly hotels in the United States ensured that I usually didn't have to resort to such primitive shelters while I was on missions. However, even if I located such an establishment in or around Bon Temps, checking in there would blow my cover. It would look too suspicious if a mainstreaming vampire who claimed he wanted to move back to his hometown wouldn't even stay at his own home. Staying at a hotel also put me at too much risk of encountering another vampire, who might report my presence to Eric Northman, which was to be avoided at all costs.

Assignments in Area Five were always a pain, since Northman always managed to strong-arm me into making an appearance at that trashy bar of his, Fangtasia. I hated having to sit there drinking that nasty synthetic blood while tourists gawked at me like an animal in a zoo. I wasn't fond of the vapid fangbangers who frequented the establishment either, even though they were an easy and willing meal. Perhaps the ready availability of quality donors at the palace spoiled me over the past couple years. How Eric could tolerate such an existence night after night, I would never understand.

The Viking vampire was old and strong enough to have a much more powerful position in the hierarchy if he so desired, and I couldn't see how he contented himself with that silly bar and his other little business ventures. He could have been King. I knew having him in the state made Sophie-Anne uneasy, even though he had never done anything to make her doubt his loyalty. It was well known in the vampire community that Northman could overthrow the Queen with ease if he put his mind to it and that he'd have plenty of support if he tried. Sophie-Anne's love of frivolity and tendency to overspend on entertainment didn't endear her to her subjects.

If things went well, he could lure the telepath back to New Orleans with him before Eric even knew I was in the area. "Sookie," I reminded myself "Her name is Sookie." I need to start using her name now so that I don't slip up later.

I pulled out my phone to text Andre that I was in Bon Temps now. I figured that the Queen's second in command would insist on frequent updates on a project this important. Andre had a frustrating tendency to micromanage my projects. Whether he did this for fun or because he didn't trust me, I wasn't sure. At any rate, it was better to check in on my own volition than to wait for him to call me.

I've been working at the court for a couple years now and still don't understand the dynamics between Andre and Sophie-Anne. I often wonder which of them is really in control, since Sophie-Anne does so little work to maintain her monarchy. Andre is the vampire you talk to if you need something done. He does the work of administrating the kingdom while the Queen passes her nights in decadence. Of course, Sophie-Anne need not worry about her eldest child overthrowing her. He seems happy enough to run her kingdom for her and enjoy the lavish lifestyle they lead while leaving her as the figurehead.

"In Bon Temps. Will scope out the bar tomorrow night." I send. Andre prefers succinct messages instead of the gossipy narratives that the Queen favors in reports. I know that I'll be writing a detailed report about Sookie for Sophie-Anne to peruse as soon as I've had the chance to observe the girl.

I finally get out of the car and take a look around my old property. I yank up a few overgrown weeds as I stroll through the yard. My descendant really let this place go. It was a shame, as I could tell that it would make a lovely home when properly restored. I began a mental list of things I needed to do to the house before moving inside to conduct a brief inspection of its condition before I went to ground for the day. This was going to cost a fortune. I was glad I'd been able to save money for a few years by living at court, which took care of most of my needs. I wasn't sure I would have the capital to make this house presentable as it was now.

I cast my gaze at the house across the cemetery from mine and thought of Sookie, who was surely asleep right now. Tomorrow night would be interesting. Would she be like her cousin, Hadley, or would she have a more agreeable disposition?

I decided I would invest in the interior renovations first before bothering with the outside, even though the peeling paint and overgrown yard were eyesores. A nice bathroom would be my first big project. I deserved a nice tub in the house if I was going to be resting in the dirt.

A few minutes later I walked down into the old cemetery. I hadn't been down here since I rose as a vampire over 150 years ago. As I burrowed into the ground, I reminded myself that there would be no Lorena waiting for me when I woke up this tomorrow night. That was a relief.

AN –

I know, more Bill this time. He's not my favorite either. This was originally a oneshot, but I decided to continue and explore some of the characters that don't get much attention, like Sophie-Anne, Hadley, and Andre.

Does anyone know when in the canon timeline Hadley was staked by Waldo? I'm going on the assumption here that she's still around at the start of the series, with Sophie Anne turning her shortly after Bill's arrival in Bon Temps.

Next Chapter – Hadley thinks on her actions and feels guilty. Sophie Anne and Andre chapters in the works as well! Review if you want me to continue.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters from Southern Vampire Mysteries. I am not making any money from this, so don't sue me!

AN - Thanks for the reviews so far! No Bill in this chapter.

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Hadley's POV

I stretch out in the tanning bed and relish the feeling of warmth on my skin. It isn't as nice as real sunlight, but it will have to do now that I'm keeping vampire hours. Sophie-Anne has been fussing at me lately to stop tanning so often because it causes cancer. It's nice that she cares, but I don't want to go back to my natural shade of pasty pale if I can help it. Of course, I won't have a choice if my lover decides to turn me. And if I'm a vampire, I won't have to worry about things like cancer anymore anyway.

Are vampires allergic to the UV rays from tanning beds in the same way they are allergic to the sun? I've never asked any of the vampires I know, though I'm guessing that the answer is yes, as I've never heard of a vampire using a tanning bed. I know that one time Compton had to try to pass as human for a mission and Andre and Sophie-Anne made him get a spray tan to cover up his deathly pale skin. That did not end well. Compton looked like a surly oompa loompa when he came back from the salon. Sometimes I think they spend hours dreaming up new ways to humiliate the "Royal Procurer," as he calls himself. Pale skin looks better than orange skin for sure, so my tanning days may be over soon. I'd rather look pale than get a spray tan and look ridiculous as a vampire, and everyone expects vampires to be pale.

But does Sophie-Anne like me enough to make me one of her vampire children? That question is gnawing at me lately. She is notoriously fickle with her affections and I know too many of the palace donors who had once enjoyed the position I hold now as the favorite before the Queen got bored with them and moved on. They spend their nights now desperately offering themselves to her and her guests, hoping that some vampire will choose them as a favored pet again. If the Queen ever tires of me, I hope that I'll have the dignity to move on instead of begging for scraps like that.

Sadly, even the pets she chooses to turn resent losing their place at her side. The vampire who was the Queen's favorite before me, Waldo the albino, is still powerfully resentful of me for taking his place. He's made a place for himself as a personal butler to Sophie-Anne, but I can tell he isn't satisfied. I can see the resentment simmering in his eyes every time the Queen makes him deliver a soda or some human food for me. I don't get it. He's a vampire now, I'm still human. Isn't he living the dream now?

I'm not sure why Sophie Anne decided to turn Waldo. He's not demonstrated any useful talents so far. A Were would be fine as a butler. Most vampires would find such a job demeaning. I know Waldo's blood supposedly had an interesting flavor, but wouldn't it make more sense to keep him as a human donor if his blood is what she values? I dearly love Sophie-Anne, but I can't pretend to understand her.

I turn over to get some tan on my back. Tanning always makes me think of my cousin Sookie, and the summer days we spent laying out in Gran's yard when we were teens. Sookie was my ace in the hole and I played her when I sensed that Sophie-Anne was getting bored with me a few weeks ago. The fact that she's now considering marriage to another vampire monarch makes me very uncomfortable. Am I not enough anymore? I sensed that my window of opportunity might be slipping away and made my move. I hope that sharing the family secret will be enough to tip the scales in my favor and persuade Sophie-Anne that I will make a useful progeny.

I feel an odd uncomfortable twisting in my gut as I think about Sookie. Is this guilt? Do I actually feel bad about selling my freakish cousin out for a shot at immortality? This is not normal for me. It's a dog eat dog world, and I always focus on getting mine, because no one else will do it for me. I know I've made some poor choices in my life, starting with the drugs. Marrying Remy wasn't the best idea either. And why on Earth had I agreed to have his child? Most people would expect me to feel terrible about how I left Hunter with Remy and never looked back, but I don't.

Really, I was doing the boy a favor by getting out of his life. I'm just not mommy material. I did the best I could for him while pregnant by staying clean of drugs and booze for those nine months, but the white picket fence life that Remy wants just wasn't for me. He'll find someone else. And hopefully Hunter will grow up with a loving stepmom who will be everything I never could be. I'm too much of a free spirit for such domestic drudgery.

The thing about Sookie is really gnawing at me in a way that nothing had since I ran out of the rehab that Gran paid for. Gran was always too good to me. I'm sure she would be appalled at how I'm using Sookie's "disability" for my own gain. That knot in my stomach intensifies as I think of her.

I'm doing Sookie a favor, I tell myself. She needs to get out of that little backwater town and live a little, and God knows she never will unless something happens to make her. Besides, I've made Sookie the sole beneficiary of my will, just in case something happens to me. If everything goes well, she'll never know about that. But I did think of her, so that has to count for something. Hell, I even picked her over Jason, who I always liked better growing up. That stupid jerk wouldn't lend me money when I was down on my luck, so he'll get nothing from me in the unlikely event that I die instead of becoming a vampire or go to the final death as a vampire in his mortal lifetime.

I hate that it's icky Bill who is going to get Sookie. Maybe that's why I'm feeling guilty. I would bet some serious money that Sookie is still a virgin. After all, how can she get it on with a guy when she's being constantly bombarded by his thoughts? I cringe to think that her first time will probably be with Creepy Compton.

Well, it could be worse. At least it isn't Waldo or Andre. Bill is gross, but Andre is just plain nasty. I've never liked him at all, and the feeling is mutual. He doesn't want Sophie-Anne to turn me because he doesn't want me as a "sibling." He doesn't think I'm good enough. What a snob! I'd really hate it if he set himself up with Sookie once she gets here. Andre has a well-known sadistic streak, and I'd hate to subject me naïve cousin to his not-so tender mercies.

Maybe once Sookie gets here, I can set her up with someone less objectionable in Sophie Anne's court. Rasul wouldn't be bad. But I have a feeling that Bill will try to hang on to Sookie to advance himself. If she is truly in love with him; and not just glamored, it might work out well for him. If Sookie can't hear his thoughts, I can easily see her becoming enthralled with him. He might be able to blind her to the negative aspects of his personality for quite a while as her first love.

If Sophie Anne does make me a vampire soon, I'll have to figure out a new place for myself in the court, just like Waldo. Perhaps I can be Sookie's handler and help her navigate this world as she adjusts. Bill had better not get in my way.

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Did you enjoy seeing Hadley's view of things? Please Review and let me know! Next Chapter is about Sophie-Anne.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Southern Vampire Mysteries. They belong to the great Charlaine Harris, who graciously allows others to play with them. I don't make any money from this, so don't sue me!

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Sophie-Anne's POV

My very own telepath! I can hardly contain my excitement! I do hope that my darling Hadley isn't exaggerating her cousin's capabilities. She tends to embellish the truth at times. It'll be quite a letdown if Bill gets to Bon Temps only to find that the girl's gift isn't everything my pet claims. I have so many plans for this girl once she's safely in my clutches. If she's not what Hadley claims her to be, I'll be very irritated.

Telepathy is a rare gift; I've only known one being so blessed in all my centuries on this Earth. That person is my demon lawyer, Desmond Cataliades. Why not use him as my personal telepath, you ask? Well, it's hard to control a demon in the same way I can a human. He also charges by the hour. Even a monarch like myself doesn't want to pay a demon $600 an hour to snoop around in people's heads. Not that he offers that service generally. He occasionally will pass on a useful tidbit he picks up from someone's mind, but he doesn't do mental fishing expeditions for his clients. He says that would be unethical. And besides, Desmond has more than enough legal work to do for me right now, anyway, especially with my engagement and upcoming nuptials to Peter Threadgill. I've run up quite the tab with his firm lately, and my Andre keeps telling me that we need to cut back on spending.

Hadley's cousin, Sookie Stackhouse, sounds like a dream come true to me. Of course, I will pay her for her services, but I'm sure she'll be much cheaper than Desmond. I can also lend her out to other monarchs to generate revenue. It sounds like the poor thing hasn't seen much of the world. I can change that. I hope she'll be happy here, and perhaps I can even make her my pet after I turn Hadley. I wonder if her blood is as delicious as Hadley's. If it is, I might even have to look into acquiring the idiot brother as a palace donor.

I wonder if Sookie's gift comes from Hadley's side of the family. If it does, it's possible that Hadley may manifest some truly extraordinary gifts as a vampire. There has to be some supe blood of some type in Sookie. My guess would be demon, as they're the only supes I know that are known to be telepaths. I'll have Andre use his gift to find out for sure. I sometimes wonder if Hadley is part fairy because she tastes so sweet, but if she has fairy blood, it can't be much. She doesn't have any issues with lemon or iron like fairy hybrids generally do. Andre's never commented about sensing anything out of the ordinary about her, even with his special gift of detecting family history through blood.

I summon a handmaiden to bring me the dress I want to wear tonight. It's by an American designer, Marchesa. They've become popular in the past few years, so I thought I'd give them a try. I usually prefer the big European fashion houses, but I try to be open to new things. This cocktail dress is a lovely shade of peacock blue silk with metallic beads and sequins on the bodice. It drapes off of one shoulder and gives me a lovely silhouette. Of course, everything I wear looks great on me. I wouldn't buy it if it didn't. But I want to look especially elegant for tonight's entertainment.

Tonight I've invited a famous young violinist to play music for the court. I've invited some vampire visitors from other kingdoms tonight, a couple of Were pack leaders from various parts of Louisiana, as well as some human business contacts and New Orleans government officials. I selected a kind of entertainment that I think all of my guests will find agreeable. Cocktails and hor d'ouerves will be available for the human guests and there will be donors for my vampire guests after the performance. It's been a while since I last hosted an event like this, but I am glad for the distraction. It will keep me from demanding updates on my telepath from Bill every half hour. He's supposed to meet her tonight.

Oh, I do hope that he doesn't mess this up. Not that Bill generally messes his missions up, mind you, I just can't help but worry when it's something so important. It's also in Area Five, which puts him in the Northman's territory. How such a commodity could be in the Viking's area and him not find her astounds me. Perhaps he's slipping in his old age. I do hope that Eric won't discover Bill's presence until he has Sookie well in hand. I wouldn't put it past that vampire to try to take my telepath for himself and then make me pay him for her services.

I put on my favorite crystal earrings and my gold Louboutin studded peep toe pumps. The handmaiden fixes my reddish brown hair into an elaborate bun and does my makeup. I do love special occasions like this where I can show off my glamorous lifestyle. Unfortunately, I have a meeting with Andre about some kingdom business before the fun begins. I take my little gold clutch to hold my cell phone and walk out the door.

Andre is waiting for me in the conference room just down the hall from my suite of rooms. The sun has just set, so younger vampires like Compton are just now rising. I guess I won't be hearing an update on my telepath until later tonight.

"Your Highness." Andre stands as I enter and bows formally. He's wearing his nicest tuxedo tonight.

"No need for such formality, child." I begin. "What business do we need to discuss this evening?"

"I've been going over the accounts again, my liege, and I fear we have been exceeding our income for a couple of months." He eyes my new dress disdainfully as though it were solely responsible for the deficit.

"Oh Andre, it's always the numbers with you. Do you forget that we have several new ventures in the works to make up for the excess spending?" I smile as I think of the promising future. A telepath, Compton's computer program, the vampire tourism programs, and our many business investments.

"I have not forgotten, my Queen. I'm just concerned, especially with the complaints coming in about the increase in the tithe." Andre replied. It's nothing I haven't heard from him before. The tithe here is still much lower than many of the other kingdoms demand of their citizens even after I raised it half a percent six months ago.

Really, I am fortunate that Andre had a head for financial matters. A few years ago, after catching our accountant embezzling money, Andre took the initiative and got an accounting degree so that he could manage the books himself. My eldest child truly is my greatest asset. He helps me with all of the kingdom matters that are just too boring for me to deal with.

I know that some of my subjects criticize me for leaving so much administrative work to Andre. I do more work than most give me credit for, though. My gift lies in entertaining and public relations. I spent countless hours planning the fete tonight, trying to make sure that all of my guests will have a pleasant time. Events like this are important for maintaining good relations with humans, which is especially important with the Vampire Rights bill on the table right now.

"Also, I have a report on Threadgill's retinue from our spy in the Arkansas court." Andre continues. He passes me a lengthy document. Perhaps this would answer some questions that I have about my suitor. A vampire monarch can never fully trust anyone, not even another monarch. Courtship between monarchs is usually a business arrangement, not a romance.

I am only considering this marriage because I think Threadgill has some useful vampires in his retinue. Some of the monarchs in surrounding areas are getting a bit restless and I'm getting a little concerned about the possibility of a takeover attempt. For a while, I was worried that Peter himself might try. Having Eric Northman, my oldest and most combat-ready subject, controlling the area near the border makes me feel better in that department. I'm fairly certain that Eric and his entourage could handle the Arkansas group, especially with the recent addition of that ill-tempered Greek vampire, Thalia. Arkansas is not a wealthy state, so I can see how marrying me will benefit Peter Threadgill. I still don't trust him to not try to take Louisiana for himself though. It's sad to think that my marriage will be so full of distrust, but that's the way of things with vampire royalty.

"Compton arrived in Bon Temps around 4 AM this morning. He's going to look for the Stackhouse girl at the shifter's bar this evening." Andre told me as an afterthought. Of course, he's saved the best news for last.

"Do let me know if you hear any more from him tonight." I say with a smile. "Is that all the business for tonight? The party is due to start in ten minutes." I say with a winning smile. I know Andre hates it when I rush our business chats, but I hope he won't be too put out. I've found a special donor for him tonight, which should perk him up.

"Everything else can wait until tomorrow evening." Andre replied with a sour frown. He never did grow out of his childish sulking phase. After eight hundred years as a vampire, you'd think he would grow up.

Oh well, he'll get over it. He always does. "Come along Andre, let us go and greet our guests." I say, sweeping from the room. I've had quite enough business talk for one night.

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Please please leave a review!

Andre is up next!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Southern Vampire Mysteries or the characters therein. I'm not making any money from this, so no need to sue me.

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Andre's POV

My Queen is in no mood to discuss business tonight. She never is these days. Ever since she found Hadley, she's been flighty and distracted. She's always been a bit over fond of frivolity, but she did not rise to power by hosting social events and indulging pets to the point of absurdity. As usual, she dismisses my concerns about spending. She treats the deficit like it's a trivial amount, but it isn't, and it's getting worse with each passing month. The new sources of revenue she brought up will not be nearly enough to make up for it, though she likes to pretend that they will be lucrative enough.

I love my maker unconditionally, but I know that others do not. I worry that someday soon, some malcontent may act against her. To me, she is a savior. I wish that her current subjects could know Sophie-Anne as she used to be. It's strange to remember the night I met that beautiful young woman in the woods. I was orphaned and alone, lost and without purpose. My tiny village had been wiped out by the plague. I was the only survivor. I had gone into the woods searching for game to hunt, but found a vampire instead. She offered me an eternity of nights at her side and I gladly accepted.

We were lovers for a time, but the passion between us cooled long ago. My loyalty to her endures, even with her recent silliness. My attempts to be the voice of reason in the past months go ignored as Sophie-Anne shops her nights away and plays children's games with Hadley to pass the time.

That childish little street walker is a disaster for this kingdom. Ever since Sophie-Anne found her standing on a corner, she's been tragically unfocused. I don't see the appeal in Hadley. She smells nicer than average, but she's too thin and has the most annoying, whiny voice I've ever heard in a human. She's happy to help my Queen spend her money, but has contributed nothing worthwhile to our kingdom. If this telepathic cousin is the real thing, she may prove worthwhile. I'm skeptical about this Sookie Stackhouse. I find it difficult to believe that a telepath could live in Eric Northman's area for so long without him discovering her. I will admit that she's far more attractive than her bratty cousin. Perhaps I could make her my pet, if her personality is tolerable.

Assuming that this girl is the real deal and not a story concocted by Hadley, would my Queen share the telepath with me? I don't ask for much, and I haven't taken a pet in years. She says I've become colder and harsher lately, but someone has to be to keep order around here.

Once my Queen marries Threadgill, Hadley will become a non-issue. I don't think much of the King of Arkansas, but I will give him credit for insisting in the marriage contract that Sophie-Anne end her romantic liaison with Hadley. I wish he had added a clause that prohibited turning her, because I can tell that Sophie-Anne plans to make her a vampire very soon. My only hope for avoiding another annoying "sibling" is if Hadley's tale about her cousin is an outright lie. Perhaps then Her Majesty will be too angry to consider turning her. Lying to Sophie-Anne is one of the worst mistakes you can make. She hates it when people try to deceive her, which is ironic considering how she constantly deludes herself about the state of the kingdom.

Sophie-Anne is less than discerning in her choice of progeny of late. Waldo is the most useless and ugly vampire I've ever encountered. Even Bubba has more uses. Waldo's all-consuming jealousy over Hadley could be useful if he'd just kill that annoying little twit. My Queen would undoubtedly send him to the final death for that, and then I would be rid of two irritants. I'm tempted to do the deed myself, but don't wish to provoke my Queen, who is rather protective of her favorites.

As the Queen and I walk into the auditorium, I pull out my phone to check for updates from Compton. So far, I have no messages from him. I send a text telling him that Sophie-Anne wants an update as soon as he learns something about the telepath. I refrain from baiting him like I usually would. Annoying Compton is one of my favorite pastimes of late. I still laugh at the pictures of him with a spray tan. That was the Queen's idea. It was a memorable night when he came back from that salon to be briefed for his mission. Sophie-Anne, Hadley, and I giggled like schoolchildren when we first saw him. I think I heard Sigebert and Wybert laughing too. I doubt Compton will ever forgive any of us for that.

I go through the motions of greeting guests and looking like a nice, tame, model vampire citizen. It wears on me. I can appreciate the benefits of being in the open, but some nights I miss the thrill of hunting in secrecy and glamoring humans into submission. There's no thrill in this new lifestyle. The old ways were more exciting. More dangerous, yes, but danger is exciting. Perhaps that's why Sophie-Anne has taken to mindless amusement recently.

The event begins soon after we enter the room. The music is the best we've had in a while. I certainly prefer it to that horrid rock band that Sophie-Anne had perform here as an indulgence to Hadley a few weeks ago. Heavy Metal does not combine well with vampire hearing.

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What did you think? There's not much in the books about Andre's personality, so I based most of my take on him on the attitudes of the other characters toward him. We're back to Bill next chapter. Leave a review!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I rise from the ground shortly after sunset. Before I check out the bar where Sookie works, I'll have to clean myself up. I make my way to the old homestead and go into the tiny downstairs bathroom. There's a little shower in there, which will suit my purposes for tonight. There's no time for one of the lengthy soaks I'm so fond of in the bathtub upstairs. Even that is a sorry excuse for a bathtub. If I end up staying here long, I might have to remodel the downstairs to have a huge bathroom with a big tub. Perhaps I could get rid of the kitchen altogether to make room. I have no use for it and it's in terrible shape anyway. Then again, if I decide I want to sell this dump to a human sometime in the future, the lack of a kitchen will make things difficult.

After my shower, I select a plain outfit from my suitcase that should help me blend in among the Bon Temps folks. The fine silk shirts that I wear to court when I meet with the Queen would make me stick out like a sore thumb here. I have to hope that I've dressed down enough for a place like Merlotte's. I don't have any of those cutoff jeans that I know are popular in little country towns like this in the summer. I'm amazed that Andre and Hadley didn't insist on me buying some for this mission. They really missed an opportunity to embarrass me there.

I read through the file on Sookie that Andre provided one more time before leaving. Once I'm ready, I get in my car and head into town. I wonder how much of a stir I will cause. They can't have had many vampires visit here. I can't imagine Eric, Pam or Longshadow spending their time checking out a little backwoods bar. Perhaps that is how Sookie avoided discovery for so long.

I park out in the customer parking area. Merlotte's seems to be doing a respectable business for this time of night. I remember hearing that during the day and early evening, this place is family-oriented. Most families with small children should have finished their meals and left the bar by now. I'd prefer to avoid children as much as possible in this mission. Even the most tolerant humans get antsy about having a vampire around their children. People are sure to get more upset about my presence in the bar if there are children present.

I stand outside the bar for a minute and look inside through the windows to get an idea of the layout and observe the patrons before making my entrance. There's a rowdy game of pool going on in one corner and several tables of humans feasting on typical bar fare. There are several waitresses dashing about serving the customers. I recognize Sookie almost immediately. I see an open booth in the section she appears to be working. I go inside and make my way to that table.

The scent of grease, alcohol, and human sweat assaults me the moment I step in the door. On nights like this I really don't appreciate the enhanced senses that come with being a vampire. Do humans realize how much they stink? As I crossed the room I picked up on an unusually sweet human smell intermingled with the stench of the rest of the room. That must be Sookie's scent. She smells better than Hadley.

The shifter was tending the bar as I walked in. He gives me a long, hard stare as I sit down in Sookie's section. Does he suspect what I'm up to already? This could be trouble. Sookie notices my presence almost immediately. Her eyes light up and she takes a dance-like step toward the bar as she grabs her tray. That was an interesting reaction. She seems almost excited to see me here. Can she already tell what I am? Most humans can't tell a vampire from a human until we flash a little fang at them.

As she approaches me, she starts smiling this kind of wild nervous smile. Perhaps she is frightened now? I look down at the table to keep from staring at her. Her sweet scent makes me even hungrier than I was before. I really should have fed before coming here.

"_What can I get you?_" She chirps happily when she reaches me. No, she's definitely not afraid. In fact, she seems thrilled at my presence.

Trying to mask my surprise, I reply _"Do you have the bottled synthetic blood?"_

"_No, I'm so sorry! Sam's got some on order. Should be in next week."_ She tells me, looking a little disappointed.

"_Then red wine, please."_ I request, struggling to keep my fangs from descending in the presence of such an appetizing human. I need a reason to be here, and it would be awkward to sit in a bar without a drink. The shifter might even use it as an excuse to kick me out for loitering if I don't order anything. Perhaps I can speak with some of the other patrons and learn a little more about Sookie tonight. Or maybe I can talk to Sookie herself if she has a break while I'm here.

"_Don't mind Sookie, mister, she's crazy_." A man in a nearby booth interrupted. The joy drained out of Sookie's eyes, but her nervous smile stayed firmly in place. Who was this customer that had such an effect on her, and who would so openly say something rude about her in her presence? I am intrigued. Perhaps Hadley wasn't exaggerating about how poorly her cousin is treated by the people in this town.

"_I'll get your wine right away." _She tells me before walking away without the bounce in her step that she had before. The shifter watched the whole scene suspiciously, but he now turned away as Sookie returned so that she wouldn't know he'd been watching.

I stare down at the table as I wait for her to return. I didn't quite feel ready to try to engage the other patrons in conversation yet and focused instead on analyzing what just happened.

Sookie returns promptly with my wine. _"Your wine." _She announces as she sets it carefully in front of me. I look into her sapphire blue eyes for a long moment. _"Enjoy." _She says proudly with a smile. Surely she knows that I can't actually drink it. I'll be sure to leave her a nice tip anyway. It's best to make a good first impression.

The man from before chooses that moment to shout_ "Hey, Sookie! We need another pitcher of beer here!" _It's almost like he's determined to keep me from talking to her.I can almost smell Sookie's irritation, but she moves on to get him what he wants anyway.

I observe Sookie's interaction with the rude man and the woman with him by the reflection in the window. The man was balding, with a goatee and of average height and build. He was wearing a cheap-looking black button-down shirt with a gray t-shirt underneath and blue jeans. He had a trashy woman with him, probably his wife of girlfriend. She isn't much to look at, but she plays up what she has by wearing very revealing clothing. Trailer trash, both of them, I determine.

I'm not all that surprised when a few minutes later the trailer trash couple moves over to my booth with their fresh pitcher of beer. They were certainly interested enough in my interactions with Sookie. Perhaps they can be useful.

"So, you're a vamper, eh?" The man remarks as he slides into the booth across from me. "Don't see many of ya'll in these here parts." I repress the urge to wrinkle my nose at his foul scent. He's sweaty and I can tell that he's used several types of illegal drugs today. I concentrate on not breathing so as not to smell him anymore.

"I surmised as much." I reply. I suppose he overheard me trying to order synthetic blood earlier. The woman sets their pitcher of beer down and scoots in beside me. She gets a bit closer to me than I'd like. She smells nasty too, but a little better than the man. Some humans have no concept of personal space.

"I'm Mack Rattray." The man continues, extending his hand to shake. I stare at it coolly but don't take it. Anyone who knows anything about vampires knows that we don't shake hands. "This here is my wife, Denise." He gestures to the woman sitting next to me, who preens proudly. "What's your name?"

"I'm Bill. Bill Compton." I answer, reluctantly accepting that these unappealing humans will be my company for the evening.

"Bill?" The woman says in surprise. "I thought ya'll always have exiting names like Langford and Lestat." I get this a lot, especially with Anne Rice fans. My ordinary human name surprises people for some reason. I was surprised that Denise had read those books; she didn't seem the type.

"Well, that's my name." I confirm, hoping that they'll change the subject. Denise starts preening again. Does she think I'll be attracted to her antics? She's too much like the pathetic fangbangers that frequent Eric's bar to truly interest me. But I am hungry, and the way she keeps touching her neck in exaggerated motions is making me more so.

"I hope Crazy Sookie didn't bug you too much earlier." Mack remarks. "A few clowns short of a circus, that one." Now I'm actually interested in what he's saying.

"She seemed nice enough to me." I remark. "Why do you call her crazy?" I feel some strange urge to stand up to Sookie's tormentors for her, even though I just met her.

"She ain't hard on the eyes, but you can just tell that something's off upstairs in that one. That freaky smile of hers says it all." He tells me.

"She's damn creepy sometimes. Answers my questions before I can even ask 'em." Denise chimed in. Maybe an evening with these lowlifes will be useful after all. Sounds like Sookie may really be a telepath.

"That's pretty bizarre." I comment, hoping they'll tell me more. They change the subject to more general things about the area. I learn that they haven't lived here long, but they seem to already have quite an opinion about everyone and everything.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a handsome man, who I recognize as Sookie's brother, come in and give her a hug.

At some point Denise goes from stroking her neck to stroking my arm. "Aren't you hungry, Bill? You poor thing. Sam doesn't have anything for your kind here."

I repress the urge to flinch away at the unwanted contact. "I'm fine right now." I lie. In reality, my hunger is getting to the point that even these smelly humans are starting to look tasty. Sookie's scent lingering in the air isn't helping matters. I'm struggling to keep my fangs from lowering.

"You sure? Mack and I gotta go soon, but we've been curious about ya'll ever since the big reveal. I was hoping you'd join us. I'd be happy to donate to you tonight." She doesn't want to take no for an answer. Her hand moves down to stroke my thigh. This woman is more forward than some of Eric's fangbangers. I glance over at her husband to see how he's handling this development.

Mack smiles at me and nods. "I'm always up for something new in the sack. Keeps things from getting boring, ain't that right Denise?" This attitude isn't uncommon. Ever since the Great Revelation, many humans have become curious about the rumored sexual prowess of vampires. It makes it much easier to find willing donors, and giving a lowlife human a night of thrills is often worth it for some real blood.

Normally, I'd never take them up on it. My gut tells me to turn them down and pick up some bottled blood at the Grab-It-Kwik on the way home, but I'm just too hungry. I've done far more disgusting things in my years as a vampire, I tell myself, such as every time I ever bedded Lorena. If I change my mind, I can use my superior strength and glamor to get myself out.

"Oh, I suppose I could." I finally agree. Denise looks thrilled. Mack gets his wallet out to settle their tab. He puts down only enough to cover their beer, stiffing Sookie on the tip. I take a crisp twenty and lay it on the table next to my still full wine glass.

As the three of us leave, I see Sookie watching us with a vaguely alarmed look on her face. I think nothing of it.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters in this story and am not making any money from this endeavor. Don't sue me!

AN: I'll finish Bill's scene next Chapter. I thought a little interlude with the New Orleans gang would be fun.

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**Chapter 7**

Hadley's POV

I change out of my cocktail dress in one of the large public bathrooms in the palace complex as soon as that dreadful concert is over. I brought some comfy clothes and my laptop with me tonight. The music was nice, I guess, but classical isn't really my style. I got bored about ten minutes in. It was a struggle not to bust out my laptop to surf the Internet during the performance. I'm really glad Sophie-Anne promised to play a game with me after that dull concert. Of course, I'm glad she enjoyed it. Andre seemed to like it too. Maybe he'll be in a better mood for a night or two. It's only a little after midnight, so the night is still young and there's plenty of time to do something fun.

Before I do anything else, I settle in one of the many lounge areas near the auditorium for a moment, and log onto my online banking to pay my rent. I'm late again this month, and that obnoxious witch downstairs has been hounding me nonstop, sending me texts during the day when she knows I'm asleep. Sophie-Anne gives me the money for rent, so paying isn't a problem, but I've never been good about punctuality. I served so many detentions and Saturday schools for tardiness in high school because I was never on time, even for tests. Mama always said this tendency would come back to bite me as an adult, but she wasn't counting on me becoming a vampire Queen's pet. I doubt the witch will evict me, since she wants to stay on good terms with the Queen. It's nice to have friends in high places.

After I pay the rent, I go ahead and knock out the utility bills too. I might as well get all this boring stuff done at the same time. I'm sure my chronic late payments have given me a terrible credit score, but I don't know or care how that stuff works. I usually use Sophie-Anne's credit card anyway. I hope she takes me shopping again soon! I know these nights won't last much longer. I can't believe that my beloved is marrying that pathetic Arkansas monarch, who already hates me. I just hope she turns me before she gets married.

I check the time again and find that I'm late to meet Sophie-Anne for our game. I rush out toward the palace's private suites as fast as my legs will carry me. The Queen hates tardiness in most people, but tolerates it in me. I guess that's a sign she really does like me. I can't help being insecure sometimes, with so many vampires in Sophie-Anne's retinue overtly disliking me. Luckily for me, she doesn't pay any of them much mind.

I dash into the parlor that the Queen uses as a game room to find that my lover has already set out a selection of games to choose from. Sigebert and Wybert, who follow her everywhere, are standing by the door like a perfectly matched pair of statues. They aren't especially bright, but I'm fond of the twins, mainly because they are actually nice to me. They nod to me as I enter the room.

"What shall we pay tonight, dearest?" Sophie-Anne asks me. I inspect the games she has out. Let's see, I have chess, Monopoly, Scrabble, Chinese checkers, and Yahtzee to choose from. Perhaps if I choose a game for more than two players, the twins will play with us. Hmm, I can't pick anything difficult if I want them to play.

I pick up the Chinese checkers box. "Will this do?" I ask. The Queen nods.

"Sigebert, Wybert, come and play with us." She says sweetly. Teaching these two a new game can take a while, but it tends to be funny watching them try to wrap their minds around rules and such. They don't generally care if someone laughs at them for being dumb. Their value is in their strength, not their minds, and they are fine with that. Watching them play checkers with each other is hilarious and it often devolves into a wrestling match.

The pair of giant vampires obey their maker immediately, seating themselves in two of the dainty chairs the Queen has pulled up to the table. The poor chairs look tiny compared to their occupants and I'm mildly surprised that they don't break. I take the third chair and begin setting up the board.

"What colors do ya'll want to play?" I ask.

"Red for me, of course." Sophie-Anne says. She always plays red, if it's an option. Vampires love that color.

'"Black." Sigebert requests.

"Blue." Says Wybert.

Of course the vampires asked for the dark colors. I select white for myself and set up the board.

Sophie-Anne snaps her fingers. "Waldo, come take our orders." She commands.

The sullen albino vampire butler scurries in the room and bows deeply to Sophie-Anne. He must've been lurking in the lounge next door, as usual. He likes to stay close to the Queen, probably reminiscing about his short-lived days as her favorite. He casts me a nasty look as he goes by, which isn't unusual. He doesn't even try to hide his jealousy. Pathetic.

"Bring us a bottle of Royalty to share." Sophie-Anne says. I guess she wants to live large tonight; that stuff is usually just for special occasions. I'm a bit surprised she's indulging the twins with it. I hope Andre doesn't come in here to fuss about the cost later. "Oh, and bring us an extra glass in case Andre joins us later. Hadley, dear, what would you like?"

I know Sophie-Anne plans to feed from me later tonight, even after drinking the Royalty bottled blood, so I'll order something sweet. I had a nice steak dinner with a spinach salad earlier to keep up my iron levels, so it's time for dessert now. "I'll have a bag of gum drops and a Cherry Coke, please." Waldo gives me a poisonous look. My good manners are wasted on him.

Waldo bows again and hurries off to get the requested items. Sophie-Anne and I turn our attention to explaining the game to Sigebert and Wybert. They look confused and I can tell that we'll probably have to play several times before they get it. I hope it isn't as bad as the time we tried to teach them to play Candyland and Wybert lost his temper and broke his brother's jaw. At least vampires heal quickly, so there was no lasting harm done.

Sure enough, the twins are trouble almost as soon as the game begins. They keep picking up all of the marbles they jump and removing them from the board, the way they do the pieces in regular checkers. My efforts to explain the right way to play fall on deaf ears. Waldo comes back with our refreshments a few turns in and goes to stand by the door in case the Queen wants anything else. He glares at me.

Sigebert and Wybert seem to really enjoy the Royalty, which puts them into more patient moods. They don't flip the board over or hit anything like they usually do when they lose. They really are like toddlers in very large bodies sometimes. They finally catch onto the rules about midway through our second game.

Andre comes in just after we start our third game. He has the accounting book with him, which is never a good sign. He sneers at my soda and gumdrops. "Ever heard of basic nutrition, Hadley?" He seems to think that I eat nothing but candy all the time.

"Hey, I had a steak and a spinach salad earlier." I defend myself. He wrinkles his nose.

"That stuff smells nasty." He says, eying the gumdrops. "I don't see the appeal. Too much sugar, even for you."

"Glass of Royalty, Andre?" Sophie Anne queries. "Please pull up a chair, my child." He obeys and accepts a glass of the premium bottled blood.

"We really can't afford to have this on a normal night." Andre scolds. "Do you even know how much this stuff costs?"

"Oh please, Andre, this is a special occasion. Have you heard anything else about our telepath?" The Queen soothes.

Andre looks like he's swallowed a lemon. "Compton texted me when he left for the bar. I haven't heard from him since then."

I wonder what Sookie thinks of Bill. I'm pretty sure she's fascinated by meeting a vampire, more so than anyone else in that backwards little town. She'll probably rush home and tell Gran all about him. Gran will be thrilled when she finds out that Compton is a Civil War veteran. I wonder if she'll convince him to speak to her Descendants of the Glorious Dead club. I can't imagine him giving a speech, but he might do it to ensure his success in this mission. I feel sorry for those old people who will have to endure Bill giving a lecture. You couldn't pay me enough to listen to Compton drone on about his human life like that.

"Play with us, Andre." The Queen laughs. "I think you might actually like this game. There's a strategy element. And you can tell us as soon as you hear from Bill." Getting Andre to play a game is harder than pulling a vampire's fangs. He doesn't know how to have fun.

"My Queen, you really should check over these figures. I think someone over in the donor complex is embezzling from us." Andre protests as he opens the book to a page he's tabbed. The donor complex is a set of buildings adjacent to the palace where most of the humans the Queen pays to donate blood for her staff and visitors reside. It's kind of like a college dorm. Andre's been complaining about the ever rising expenses from that sector lately.

"Again with the numbers, Andre? I command you as your maker to join our game and enjoy yourself." Sophie-Anne says flippantly. Andre puts the book aside and sullenly sets up the green marbles on the part of the board closest to him. Apparently even a maker's command can't change his attitude. It is bad if someone is stealing money and the Queen can't be bothered to care, I'll admit. I'd hate to see Andre ruin a night that she's in such a good mood, though.

I hope Sophie-Anne will buckle down and address the issues Andre brings up sometime soon, so that he'll quit bugging us about them. It really is a killjoy to be having a good time online shopping, watching a movie, or playing a game only to have Andre barge in and start babbling about financial nonsense to ruin everything.

The addition of Andre to the game irritates the twins, as he vents his frustration by making caustic remarks whenever they make a stupid move. Andre's such a sourpuss, always killing the fun. I start trying to help the twins by pointing out good moves that block Andre's pieces. Maybe if the three of us work together, we can trounce him, even if he's smarter than the three of us put together. It's an unspoken rule that we always let Sophie-Anne win, because she's such a sore loser.

"Andre, quit being nasty to your brothers." Sophie-Anne commands. Oh dear, he's going to start on me now. The twins look relieved. "And do lighten up."

Andre looks even more irritable at this order. Then his phone starts to buzz. "Oh, Bill is calling me. I'll have to take this." He walks out to the hall as the twins and I breathe a quiet sigh of relief. Sophie-Anne looks miffed that he wanted to answer the call outside of her presence.

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Back to Bill and the Rattrays for the next chapter. Pretty please leave a review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or events from _Southern Vampire Mysteries_. I am not making any money from this, it's just for fun.

All italicized dialogue in this chapter is from _Dead Until Dark_, Chapter 1.

Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up, lovely readers. Real life has been insane lately. Thanks so much for the reviews and follows, they keep me writing!

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Chapter 8

Bill's POV

I stroll out of Merlotte's with the two rednecks attempting to befriend me. Denise chatters on about something inane, making her hips sway seductively as she walks. She stops at a beat up red sports car near the end of the parking lot, which I assume belongs to her and Mack. I move to go toward my own car, assuming that I'll just follow them when Denise grabs my wrist to stop me. She stands up on her tip toes to whisper in my ear, "You can just ride with us, doll. Don't worry none 'bout that car of yours."

Doll? Who is she calling doll? I sputter in indignation. She kisses my neck in an effort to mollify me. I glare at her as menacingly as possible to make her stop. In this moment of distraction, I lose my focus. I didn't pay Mack much mind once we left the bar because he wasn't jabbering on like his wife. I really shouldn't be so shocked when I feel the shock of that noxious metal against the exposed skin of my neck.

Mack cackles from behind me. "You're even dumber than that bimbo of a vamp we caught a few months ago." He twists the thin silver chain securely around my neck as I try to writhe away. Denise grabs one end and begins to wrap it around my left arm, while Mack takes care of my right. I feel weak in the knees and gasp in pain as I struggle against them. It's pathetic how little silver it takes to affect me like this. I can almost hear Andre and Sophie-Anne laughing in the back of my mind. As I collapse to the ground, I realize that this is how my unlife is going to end. I call for help, but no one is out here to hear me.

"Aren't ya'll supposed to be super strong?" Denise drawls as she and her scumbag husband wrestle me over to a dark corner of the parking lot, where we're unlikely to be seen. I can only hiss in response as I continue to struggle. The pain of the chain burning down into my flesh is indescribable. Denise goes to get something from the trunk of their car, which I assume is draining supplies. Mack continues to taunt me as he holds me down and wraps the chain around my legs too. He's sloppy and doesn't bother pulling up my pant legs, so it doesn't touch my skin there. It still stings through my clothing. I'm all out of fight by the time Denise returns with the supplies and starts draining me. I groan in protest as they wrap the tourniquet around my arm and stick the needle in, but am too weak to do anything more.

My mind frantically searches for another way out. In desperation, I do something I swore I'd never resort to: I call to my maker through our bond. I've finally found something that I hate more than I hate Lorena Ball: the silver burning into me as my strength bleeds out of me into a little vial that'll probably sell for several hundred dollars once full. My bitch of a maker would be a wonderful sight now. I can feel that she's much too far away to help me, but she's much closer than she was when I last checked six months ago. I have to wonder why. Most of the time, I try to forget that she exists. It's her fault that I have this cursed existence, subsisting on human blood and shunning daylight.

I hated being a vampire for decades and clung fiercely to every scrap of humanity I had left in me. Lorena's perversion did not make that easy. We had many fights over me attempting to adhere to my mortal moral code. She always won, of course, using her power to command me to do whatever disgusting thing she wished. There were many times in the early decades that considered meeting the sun and would have welcomed the final death. Of course, Lorena commanded me not to, so I could only fantasize about it. The transition is different for every new vampire, but it took me nearly sixty years to accept my new reality, probably because Lorena used her ability to compel me as to stay with her for so long. It's hard to accept a major change when you're forced to live with someone you hate.

It's strange how I'm now clinging to the existence I cursed for so long now that it's ending. Nothing short of a miracle can save me now. "Miracles don't happen for vampires," I silently admonish myself, but some tiny part of me refuses to let go of the sliver of hope that someone will help me. It'll take them quite awhile to drain me dry; vampire blood runs slow, as we have no pulse.

As it turns out, a miracle is just what I get. A chain-wielding Sookie Stackhouse leaps out from behind the nearest car and whacked Mack across his back. He lets out a howl of rage and jumps to his feet. Denise continues the draining process, seemingly unconcerned about her husband's assailant. She's only on the third vial, so there's a lot left to go. Mack bends down and pulls a knife from his boot.

"_Uh-oh_," Sookie mocks, clearly not grasping the danger she's in.

"_You crazy bitch!_" Mack hollers. Sookie doesn't wait for him to strike and attacks with the chain again as he brandishes the knife at her. He nearly hits her with the knife as the chain wraps around his neck. He gasps and makes an unpleasant gurgling sound. I can tell he can't breathe. He drops the knife and falls to his knees as he claws at the chain with his hands.

Sookie must have beginner's luck for fighting, because it's clear she's inexperienced. Why would she fight the Rattrays to help me? Maybe she actually is a bit crazy. She sure looks it right now with her blue eyes wide and teeth bared. She loses her grip on the chain as Mack falls down but wisely scoops up the knife he dropped.

By now, Denise is paying attention to the fight. She lunges at Sookie, screeching expletives, but stops cold when she sees the knife pointed at her.

"_Get. Out. Now._" Sookie commands. When Denise tries to take the blood she's collected from me with her, Sookie hisses at her like an angry cat. Denise settles for helping the still choking Mack up and getting him into their car.

Sookie and I realize at the same time that the Rattrays' retreat to their car is bad news for us. "_Push with your feet!_" She shouts in my ear as she grabs me under my arms to pull me out of the car's way. I do as she tells me and we narrowly avoid getting run over. I can hear Sookies heart pounding and smell her sweet scent, stronger from her perspiration. We're sitting at the edge of the woods behind Merlotte's. I'm relieved as I hear the car speed away. I'll be sure to make those bastards pay later.

"_Oh wow,_" Sookie sighed, obviously worn out from her exertion. She kneels beside me panting. I twitched again from the pain of the silver, which drew her attention to my predicament. Would this little human be trusting enough to unbind me? She's perfectly safe so long as I'm chained up.

She gasps in horror at the sight of the smoke rising from my wrists. "_Oh you poor thing_," she exclaims as she begins to remove the chain. "_Poor baby_," she soothes . Baby? This really is not my night. First I'm called Doll, now Baby. I'm not going to complain though. She almost has me free.

I breathe a sigh of relief once the chain is off and pull my arms close to my body protectively as I wait for them to heal.

"_I'm sorry I didn't get here faster,_" she says softly. "_You'll feel better in a minute, right? Do you want me to leave?"_ I watch her warily. She could've easily continued the raining operation and netted some good money, but she freed me instead. If she was smart, she'd get the hell away from me, because now I'm both hungry and injured, which is never a good combination for a vampire. Of course, she might not know this.

"_No_." I answer her question. She seems pleased at the answer. "_They might come back, and I can't fight yet." _I clarify. I'm still very weak, but I don't mind her company. She clearly has no intent to hurt me, and she'd probably help me if the trailer trash came back to finish the job. Perhaps I could take this opportunity to get to know her and redeem something from this otherwise disastrous night.

She makes a strange face and turns her back to me, facing the parking lot. I think this is foolish until I notice her wrapping the drainers' chain around her neck and wrists, presumably to deter me from biting her. So, she's not totally stupid. There are other places I could bite though. The bar is emptying out for the night; I can tell from the cars leaving, so I probably wouldn't be interrupted if I bit.

After a long few minutes I sit up. Sookie startles a little. She turns to look at me. I don't know what to say. "_Thank you_." I feel really awkward saying that after being rescued by a mortal woman, but common courtesy demands it.

Her eyes widen. "_Oh_," she sounds shocked. Is it really that surprising that I expressed gratitude? "_I can't hear you._"

Do I have to say it again? I guess she wants to rub it in. "_Thank you!" _I nearly shout at her.

"_No, no . . . I can hear you speak, but_ I can't hear your thoughts like I can with regular folks." She clarifies. Well, that confirms it. Hadley's cousin is the real deal. Sophie-Anne will be over the moon.

"You can hear people's thoughts?" I ask to confirm.

She nods. "Yep. I usually don't tell anyone though. It's why everyone thinks I'm crazy. It's like having tons of people chattering on in my head all the time. I call it my disability." Then she turns to me and puts her hands on my face with an intense look on her face. I guess she's trying to hear me, so I think disgustingly sexual thoughts about her so that she'll react if she hears them. She doesn't recoil or slap me, so I guess she really can't hear me.

"_Oh, excuse me,_" she says, embarrassed. She drops her hands to her lap and twiddles her thumbs. "You see, I could hear the Rats planning to drain you in their minds. Mack was trying to remember the current street price of V. Denise was planning how to spend the money. They were both wondering how old you are. I wasn't sure if they'd try to drain you here or if they'd take you back to their trailer, but I got suspicious when I didn't hear that loud car of theirs leaving . . . _so I figured I better come out here to see how you were_."

"_You came out here to rescue me. It was brave."_ I purr, silently glamoring her to come closer to me and offer me blood.

"_Now you cut that out." _She snaps. This takes me by surprise, but I try to hide it. Is she immune to glamor? That would be a first. It also would make this mission much more complicated.

"_Aren't you afraid to be alone with a hungry vampire?_" I query saucily. If she's not, she's truly naïve.

"_Nope."_ She makes no move to get away from me.

"_Are you assuming that since you came to my rescue that you're safe, that I harbor an ounce of sentimental feeling after all these years?" _I'm genuinely curious about how she'll answer._ " Vampires often turn on those who trust them. We don't have human values, you know."_ Even ditzy Hadley figured this out. She's lasted longer with fickle Sophie-Anne than I expected her to because she understands how vampires think. Would her innocent cousin have such insight?

"_A lot of humans turn on those who trust them,_" she retorted. "_I'm not a total fool."_ She turned to show me the chain she'd been wrapping around her neck and arms. I shiver as I remembered how it felt wrapped around my own body.

I think for a moment on how to respond. "_But there's a juicy artery inn your groin."_ The femoral arteries are favorites of mine, and her little strategy leaves them unprotected. Plus the little innuendo should get a rise out of her.

"_Don't you talk dirty, I won't listen to that."_ Sookie snaps back. We stare at each other for a few minutes. I ponder about what to say next and wonder what she's thinking. Glamoring her into giving me a meal is out, as it doesn't work. I wonder if she plans to keep the blood the redneck scum drained from me before she interrupted them.

"_Would you like to drink the blood they collected_?" I ask. She looks astonished. "_It would me a way to show my gratitude_." I point at the pair of vials on the ground nearby. I really do owe her something. "_My blood is supposed to improve your sex life and your health." _I clarify. She still looks horrified at the suggestion.

"_I'm healthy as a horse," _she responds. "_And I have no sex life to speak of. You do what you want with it."_ So Hadley's right, she is still a virgin. I'd suspected as much, but it's good to have the confirmation so that I can plan accordingly. She probably won't hop right into bed with me, so I need to figure out how to woo her.

"_You could sell it._" I suggest, but she looks disgusted. She's every bit as straight-laced as Hadley claimed.

"_I wouldn't touch it."_

"_You're different, what are you?"_ I ask, wondering if she'll come right out and say that she's a telepath or if she'd admit to having some supe blood, which I was starting to suspect.

"_Well, I'm Sookie Stackhouse and I'm a waitress."_ She evades. "_What's your name?_

"_Bill._" I guess there's no harm in telling her that. I leave out my last name so that she won't realize that I'm her new neighbor just yet.

She bursts out laughing. I wasn't expecting that reaction. "_The vampire Bill! I thought it might be Antione, or Basil, or Langford!"_ This reminds me a bit too much of my earlier conversation with Denise and Mack. She laughs for a solid five minutes. I don't know whether to be offended or amused. I have to wonder if she'd laugh at Eric Northman for having a normal-sounding name. I'd love to see his reaction to that.

"_Well, see ya, Bill. I got to get back to work."_ That weird smile from earlier reappears on her face. I wonder why she does that. Nervous reflex, perhaps? Her real smile is much prettier. She uses my shoulder to push herself up. She dusts off her backside and checks to make sure her socks look right before heading inside with a final wave to me.

I make my way to my car, mind churning with the events of the evening. Things certainly didn't go as planned, but I think I have enough to report to satisfy Sophie-Anne for now. I'll be editing what happened. I can't let Andre, Sophie-Anne, or Hadley find out that I almost got myself drained by a couple of hicks. I'd be the laughingstock of the supernatural community for months. I crank the engine as I ponder how to spin this.

I stop at a convenience store for some bottled blood on the way back to the house. I don't feel up to finding a donor tonight, after the fiasco with the Rats, though I think the plump clerk at the Grabbit Kwik was interested. She told me she was getting off work soon and winked at me as she rang up my purchase. I noticed from her nametag that her name is Maudette. She isn't very attractive, but blood is blood, so she may be an option for another night. The nearest blood bank is in Shreveport, which I must avoid at all cost, so that's not an option either. I guess this synthetic shit will have to do for now. It'll take the edge off, even if it can't fully sate me.

Once I'm home, I take the blood into the kitchen and heat a couple bottles up in the ancient microwave. I stow the rest in the beat up old fridge. Hmm, something else that needs replacing in this dump of a house. I don't know much about my descendant Jesse, but his housekeeping skills leave much to be desired. Everything is banged up and stained and there's junk everywhere I look. Was the man a hoarder? Whoever came in here after he died made no effort to clean the place up.

I find a reasonably clean armchair in the living room and settle down with my laptop and phone. I bought a 3G adapter for the computer before I left New Orleans so I could check my email from this house. Of course there is no internet here, Jesse didn't even have cable TV. If I got really desperate I could use the phone line for dial up, but I'd rather not.

After a few more minutes of pondering what kind of story to spin for the crowd back in New Orleans, I call Andre. With him, I stick to the basics, because that bastard can always tell if I'm stretching the truth or embellishing things too much. I tell him that I know for sure that Sookie is a telepath, that she can't be glamored, and that I'm pretty sure she is a virgin. I confirm that the shifter Merlotte is very protective of her and was not pleased to see me. I say that I doubt Merlotte will report my presence to Northman, since he doesn't want more vampires sniffing around Sookie. I conclude that this mission may take weeks or months if I can't simply abduct the girl. Andre tells me that still isn't an option and that I'm to complete my mission with minimal disruption to the Bon Temps community.

Andre is in a sour mood and I am happy to end the call. I can hear Hadley giggling obnoxiously in the background, so I sympathize a little with my fellow vampire. I don't know how he stands being around her so much. He must be truly devoted to his maker to put up with her pet's irritating qualities with so little complaint.

I begin writing my report for Sophie-Anne shortly after finishing the call. I make sure to pack it full of the gossip I heard at the bar and detailed descriptions about everything from the town to my house. Even the smallest details delight the Queen. I am able to avoid all mention of the draining incident without outright lying, but do mention the Rattrays, though not by name. I claim to have spoken to Sookie on one of her breaks, which isn't a huge perversion of the truth. After all, she took an unscheduled break to come help me. Sophie-Anne's probably going to creep Sookie out when she finally meets her and starts gabbing about Sookie's friends and neighbors from Bon Temps like she's lived there all her life. Oh well, that isn't my problem. My job is just to get the Queen what she wants, even if it's something as silly as gossip from a backwater town.

I email my report a couple hours before sunrise and have a couple more bottles of synthetic blood. I go to ground feeling good about my job security, but still hungry. Perhaps I'll find a live donor tomorrow night.

* * *

Please leave a review on your way out, I'd love to hear what you think!

Next chapter – Hadley is annoying, Andre is jealous, and Sophie-Anne does some online shopping.


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